Oldest and Largest Italian Culinary Destination Opens

The Spinelli family’s Italian Centre Shop team opens a new 13,000-square-foot Calgary marketplace for Calgary food-lovers and families.

With the freshest local produce, hard-to-come-by products as well as everyday Italian and European essentials, the store also offers slow-cooked take-home meals, a fully-stocked deli and fresh baked Italian goods.

With more than 30,000 items featuring Europe and Italy’s best-known, most-loved foods all under one roof, Calgarians have a good reason to call the Italian Centre Shop Calgary’s newest and best destination for food shopping.

“We’re bringing Italy to Calgary, from our home to yours,” says Italian Centre Shop owner and President Teresa Spinelli. “Italian hospitality and good service is deeply rooted in our values and beliefs because of my father, Frank Spinelli.”

The Italian Centre Shop was founded in Edmonton in 1959 by Italian immigrant Spinelli. He became legendary for his generosity, with his motto “The more you give, the more you get back”. Bringing the community together over food and celebration was his philosophy and today, his legacy is carried on by daughter Teresa.

Welcoming Calgarians to step into Italy, Teresa is excited for customers to see the unique marketplace that is more than just a quick trip to the grocery store.

What can first-time shoppers expect?

Western Canada’s largest deli features more than 600 types of meat, cheese and antipasti, including Sardinian Truffle Pecorino

The Cathedral of Cheese housing 80 wheels of cheese including Parmesan and Piave Vecchio. A unique structure in Alberta, the impressive showcase is 13’ high and 40’ wide and temperature-controlled.

To win, customers are encouraged to locate Gino in the store, take a selfie with him - then post onto Twitter and Instagram using the hashtags #MeetGino and #StepIntoItaly and tagging the @ItalianCtrYYC account.

“We've learned very quickly people in Calgary love food and have traveled far and wide for it,” explains Gino. “They are cultured, love to entertain and are very social. At the shop, we will bring back culinary memories and experiences from travel or the homeland and make incredible ingredients available to our customers each and every day.”

With so many products rarely found in the city’s southeast, and an atmosphere rarely found outside of Italy, the Italian Centre Shop team looks forward to welcoming Calgarians and creating new memories to add to its rich heritage.

The Italian Centre Shop is located at9919 Fairmount Drive SEHours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.7 days a week